Richard Romero's Autobiography:
I have been training in martial arts since the age of six.. I trained in
Shotokan Karate, Red Dragon Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Hapkido. Currently,
I’m training in Kali/Jun Fan Gung Fu at The Kali Academy of Martial Arts
• Institute of Chinese Kickboxing • Jun Fan Gung Fu Whittier, California
under the instruction of Sifu/Guro Bud Thompson. I have been training
under Sifu/Guro Thompson for the past nine years since the age of 12.
My training at the Kali Academy has been invaluable. My first priority
when I first started training at the Kali Academy was to learn how to
defend myself. Coming from a traditional Karate background, I did not
have practical or street-oriented fighting skills. At the Kali Academy,
I learned how to defend myself properly and efficiently. In contrast, we
learned practical and realistic techniques that were most efficient. I
learned practical skills in every range of combat so that I would be
able to defend myself in any given range of combat.. As a result, I have
a solid background in kicking, boxing, and trapping, stick fighting, and
grappling.
This fighting background has enabled me to explore other martial arts
and determine the strengths and weaknesses. I have incorporate the
aspects of different arts that will make me a better martial artist and
I reject the inefficient and impractical aspects. This type of
open-minded attitude was imparted unto me by Sifu/Guro Bud Thompson, and
has benefited me greatly in my martial arts journey. It not only has
taught me to explore other martial arts, but it has also taught me to
explore the various techniques and skills taught to me at the Kali
Academy. I have learned to make these techniques work as efficiently as
possible for myself by doing them my own way and not by simply mimicking
my teacher. Whenever I think of my martial arts training, I always
remember what Sifu/Guro Bud Thompson told me the first day I started
training. He said, “You only get out what you put in,” he was talking
about becoming proficient in the martial arts. In my many years of
training I have learned that there are no shortcuts to becoming a
skilled martial artist. The only way to become skillful and efficient is
to train hard, and train hard consistently.
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